Georgia football opener could set a heat record. Here are tips for fans to handle it.
· Yahoo Sports
Georgia football fans heading to Sanford Stadium for Saturday’s season opener could be met with the hottest temperature ever for a Bulldogs home game.
The Bulldogs and Tennessee State are set to kick off at 3 p.m. on Sept. 5.
Visit sportbet.rodeo for more information.
The forecast for Athens calls for a high temperature of 97 degrees, according to The National Weather Service and weather.com.
That would match the unofficial high temperature of 97 degrees set against Baylor on Sept. 16, 1972, according to a post on Facebook from meteorologist Alex Forbes of Fox 5 Atlanta, which is forecasting it to be hotter.
Forbes wrote that UGA official game temperatures don't go back that far, but he checked climate data going back to 1944.
Georgia athletics is preparing for a sellout in a stadium with a capacity of more than 90,000.
It says fans should already start hydrating. They can bring in one unopened 20 oz bottle of water at no cost. There are water stations in the stadium to fill up water bottles.
Georgia says “if fans need assistance during the game for any items text DAWGS and then the issue to 69050 for the most immediate response.”
Georgia players have practiced in the heat for much of the preseason.
“It’s 100 degrees, it’s humid, you have 12 pounds of pads,” running back Nate Frazier said. “One thing I can tell you about Georgia football is you will never be in shape for a Georgia football practice. Coach (Kirby) Smart and our coaches are going to find a way to make it difficult every single day. It helps you in the long run. Me personally, I feel like the practices we have are 100 times harder than the games.”
Smart on a radio appearance on 680 AM in Atlanta said of Saturday’s game conditions: “Our players are going to be asked to do it so all I’m asking the fans to do is be loud and be there. We got to actually carry the 25 pounds and the clothes and go out there and run in it. We just want you guys to drink some beer and be loud.”
Marshall Shepherd, a meteorologist who is the director of UGA’s Atmospheric Sciences Program, wrote for Forbes this week about the extreme heat expected at games this weekend. The "feels like" temperature could be a high as 105 Saturday, according to weather.com.
"Heat index values are calculated for shady, light-wind conditions," Atlanta News First meteorologist Jason Disharoon posted on Facebook. "In direct sunshine, it can feel up to 15° hotter, meaning fans sitting in the sun could experience heat that feels closer to 120°!"
Shepherd, urged “people to be extra cognizant of their physical well-being, available resources, and best practices.”
He recommended fans to limit alcohol consumption, stay hydrated with water, seek cooling stations if offered and to look for signs of heat exhaustion including nausea, dizziness, excessive sweating, fatigue or clammy skin. He also suggested wearing light colored, loose-fitting clothing and to wear sunscreen.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football opener could set a heat record. Here are tips for fans to handle it.